Ask an Irvine Theft Lawyer: What Types of Grand Theft Charges Exist in California

Ask an Irvine Theft Lawyer: What Types of Grand Theft Charges Exist in CaliforniaThere are four different kinds of grand theft accusations that you can encounter in California. Taking someone else’s goods, cash, or labor valued at $950 or more is referred to as grand theft. Petty theft is defined as any theft of less than $950 in goods or services. All four categories of grand theft are punishable in California by either a misdemeanor or a felony charge. However, you could be charged with a crime if you use a gun to conduct any major larceny.

Keep reading to get more information about these types of crimes. Then contact Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088 if you need help from an Irvine theft lawyer.

Grand theft by larceny

Larceny is the primary form of grand theft in California. Larceny is similar to simple theft in that it involves taking someone else’s property and moving it to another location. If you are charged with grand theft by larceny in California, the prosecution must show that you stole something from someone else without their consent and that you relocated the property with the intent to either possess it permanently or to keep it long enough to deny the rightful owner a sizable portion of its worth.

Grand theft by fraudulent pretenses

False pretenses is the second degree of grand theft in California. In this instance, it is unlawful to purposefully and knowingly misrepresent anything to another person, to trick the other person with the goal of convincing them to give you their possessions, when the other person actually did give you their possessions.

Say you inform someone, for instance, that their pricey watch is a low-quality imitation and offer to buy it from them so they won’t feel bad about sporting a forgery. You committed grand theft if the other party accepts your claim and gives you the watch.

Grand theft by trick

Grand theft by trick is similar to grand theft by fraudulent pretenses. Grand theft by trick, as opposed to the crime of false pretenses, happens when the other party simply wants to give you temporary ownership of the property.

The unlawful ruse enables you to temporarily possess something. It might be grand theft by deception if the original owner does not intend to transfer ownership when turning over an object.

Imagine in the preceding case you inform the owner of the watch that it is a fake and offer to have it returned to the jeweler on their behalf at the store where it was purchased. In this instance, the watch owner delivers you the timepiece with the full intention that you will return it once you confront the owner of the jewelry store.

Grand theft by embezzlement

Embezzlement is the final grand theft accusation. You have embezzled the property if you are placed in a position of trust over someone else’s possessions and abuse that position by using the possessions for your own gain.

Consider that you are in charge of the business bank accounts for your employer. You should transfer (unearned) monies to your own bank instead of paying other workers and vendors from the accounts. You committed grand theft by embezzlement even if your intention was to repay the money before it was discovered.

California’s grand theft punishments

You may be charged with grand theft if the amount taken or misappropriated is $950 or more. If found guilty of a misdemeanor, you might spend up to a year in county jail. However, you face a potential penalty of up to three years in jail if the prosecution decides that your case or criminal history justifies felony charges.

Grand theft offenses also carry enhanced sentences. First, if a gun is used, a state prison sentence of up to three years is possible. Additionally, if you stole more than $65,000, the prosecutor may also ask for an increased punishment in addition to the standard jail time. At the top, you might have to serve an additional four years if the property’s value was higher than $3.2 million.

If you are facing charges similar to these, contact an Irvine theft lawyer by calling Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088 for help right away.

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